


The Kiss of Death

by WestEndWhirlwind



Category: Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical - Steinman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-03-13 16:24:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 4,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18944596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WestEndWhirlwind/pseuds/WestEndWhirlwind
Summary: When the god of death falls in love with a beautiful mortal, he can't help but try to save her life - even if she begs him to let her go.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amelie Bhaluani](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Amelie+Bhaluani).



_Falling. She was falling. The wind was whipping her hair, air ripped from her lungs. She heard him scream above her - it was primal, terrified._  

_"No!" Strong hands wrapped under her, breaking her fall. She gasped as the air rushed back in, curling into her rescuer's side to cough._

_She looked up to see the blonde-haired boy clutching her, ebony wings unfurling behind him._

_"How..." "I can't lose you. Please."_

 


	2. Chapter 2

The moonlight cast silvery beams over the headstones as Raven placed a single white rose on the grave. It was quickly nearing midnight, but she couldn't bring herself to leave quite yet. She laid back against the stone and sighed.

"I miss you, Mom." The words fell on deaf ears - no one was around to hear. That was what always happened; she'd sneak out of the house and come here to talk to Sloane. It was easier than talking to her father, for sure.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice the boy until he was crouched in front of her.

"Excuse me, um, miss...?" She jolted up. 

"Oh! So sorry, I didn't think anyone would be here this time of night." He smiled and reached to help her up. "Neither did I. I'm usually the only one awake at this hour." She could have sworn a pair of wings flashed behind him, but as soon as she blinked, they were gone. He offered his arm, and she leaned against him.

"Can I know your name?" she prodded. He considered it for a moment. 

"I deal in trades - mine for yours?" 

"Raven."

"Strat."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Strat." He kissed her hands, eyes slowly trailing along the planes of her face.

"I believe the pleasure is all mine, milady."


	3. Chapter 3

Raven awoke with a start, clutching the bedsheet in her hands. The last thing she remembered was being at the cemetery with her mother...and the boy. Oh god, the boy. Raven wasn't interested in dating, especially because of her father's relative notoriety. Men wanted her for her wealth and...other attributes, not sparing a thought for the girl beneath it all. But Strat didn't look at her like that. He looked at her like he actually wanted to see her, and that was something she hadn't seen in a very long time. She sighed and pushed the covers off - no sense in going back to sleep now. She probably couldn't if she tried.

She reached for the pink book sitting on her nightstand, opening it to a fresh page. Pencil in hand, she began to sketch, unsure of what exactly was taking shape beneath her hand. When she finally looked down, she found intense silver eyes staring up at her from underneath charcoal curls. She dropped the book with a start. God, she couldn't even draw without him making an appearance. She picked the sketchbook up and shut it softly, flopping back onto the covers. Obviously, she wasn't going to sleep again until she got answers. She tied her pyjama sash in a bow around her waist and crept out of the room, softly closing the door behind her. If she didn't have answers, maybe she could find the boy who did.


	4. Chapter 4

Strat nearly had a heart attack when he saw the raven-haired girl perched on the tombstone. He may have been a god, but this girl had to be a phantom to keep materialising. He turned around, intending to disappear before she noticed him.

"Hey!" He winced, slowly pivoting back towards the voice. Forcing himself to relax, he looked her over with a low chuckle.

"Well hello again, milady." He sauntered over and leaned against her tombstone, fighting to keep his composure. This girl got his heart racing, and he had no idea why or how.

Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight, capturing the stars and shining them back at him. She didn't look very at ease - one wrong move and she'd take flight, maybe disappearing forever. He couldn't let that happen. "Strat, I wanted to ask you a few questions..." She sounded unsure, like she'd rather not know the answer. "Anything." She opened her mouth and closed it again several times before shaking her head. "Never mind, they're stupid. I'll...I'll see you around, okay?" She leapt off the tombstone, barely making a sound as she landed. "Wait, Raven -" She turned, eyes bright. He took her hand and inhaled. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call." Her eyebrows scrunched together - it must have been an odd request, for her to call him without any means of doing so. "Yeah, I'll...I'll do that." With that, she slipped out of his grasp and dissolved into the midnight sky.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Her latest encounter with Strat had left her shaken, to say the least. She finally had the chance to talk to him, and she just _froze_. She smacked her palm against her forehead. _Stupid, stupid, STUPID._  
A rustle in the copse of trees to her right stopped her in her tracks. She hadn't even realised she was by the abandoned park. Her heartbeat sped up as she turned slowly toward the trees.  
"Hello?" Her voice came out much shakier than she'd wanted. Silence answered, and she turned around, walking quicker than before.

A crack split the silence in half again, and this time she did freeze. She was rooted to the spot. _No. No. Nonononononono._ She gripped the first stick she found and held it like a bat - not much, but it was something.

A man appeared out of the trees. She'd heard of disappearances late at night - kids who never made their way back to their parents, people who'd up and gone with no trace, no bodies to discover. She wasn't going to be one of those missing cases. She _wasn't_.

"Hey, beautiful." His grin was _wrong_ \- slick, slimy. She shivered and backed up. "Hey, hey! Relax." His smile grew. She hefted the stick, ready to stab his eye out. "Aw, what're you gonna do? Poke me?" She opened her mouth, and he snapped his fingers. Hands covered her mouth and pulled her away, pressing something to her nose. She inhaled to scream, spots dancing across her vision. She couldn't scream. She couldn't breathe. She was going to die. She was going to disappear and nobody would even notice she was gone. Maybe her father would, after he couldn't find her. Maybe he'd be disappointed he would never get the money from marrying her off.

The blackness crept towards the centre of her vision, and her struggles weakened. She blinked slowly, watching the darkness fill her vision and pull her down, inviting her to forget about all of this, just for a moment...

 


	6. Chapter 6

Strat stretched, jet-black wings unfurling behind him. A bell chime had woken him - a soul was close to death and required the customary welcome speech. Gods, he hated the damn thing. He let himself float as he homed in on the signal - an abandoned building about an hour outside of Obsidian. With a sigh, he hurled himself through the air towards the source. He'd collect the soul, deposit them where they needed to go, and head back here...or maybe go find Raven. Desiring a mortal wasn't frowned upon or even uncommon between gods, but feeling like he did... _that_ wasn't normal. Still, he couldn't help himself. There was something about this girl that he just couldn't shake.

He alighted in a dimly-lit room, vaguely able to make out a limp silhouette in the flickering glow. 

"Mortal, I -" He froze. Her face was bloody and pale, ebony hair hanging loosely around her face. Scratches bled along her exposed arms, clothes ripped to shreds. Her head barely lifted. He rushed to her side and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes. Her eyelids flickered, barely registering his presence. 

"S...Strat?" The words were slurred, barely intelligible. 

"I'm here, Raven. What happened? How...who..." She shook her head, then winced. 

"I was in the park...someone grabbed me." Her head jerked up at the sound of footsteps. "You have to go, Strat. You have to go, they'll kill you!" He took her hands as softly as he could and looked at her. 

"Raven, I'm not going anywhere. You're the only one who can see me." She looked like she'd be confused if she had the energy. The door burst open.

"How's our special guest doing?" The new guest had a drawl, and Strat immediately wanted to punch him. 

"Stay away from me," she murmured, too soft to make an impact. 

"What's that, sugar?" Strat took a deep breath. He was about to break one of the cardinal rules of being a god; _don't_ interfere on a mortal's behalf.

He could tell when he appeared - the man jerked away. _"What the hell?!"_ Strat marched over, wings unfurled to their full wingspan. His eyes were glowing red, black surrounding the ruby irises. 

"Your time is up." Strat seized the man by his throat and hurled him against the wall with a sickening _crunch_. He scooped up Raven and used his wings to shield her as he exploded through the ceiling. He could hear the yells of the man's compatriots as they found him, but he didn't care. He had to get her somewhere safe, somewhere she could heal. She let out a soft moan in his arms and went limp.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Raven blinked slowly, colours coming into focus. Bleary surroundings - all muted colours. Where _was_ she? She jerked up, falling back with a muffled shriek as a thousand wounds seared into her skin. The door burst open, and worried blue eyes were the first thing she saw.

"Raven?! What's wrong, are you okay?! Wh-" She held a hand up, as painful as it was. 

"I'm fine. Where am I? What's going on? How did you get me here?" He opened his mouth, but before he could respond, she interrupted him again. "I'll know if you're lying to me. None of this is normal." He ran his hands through his curls again, frantic. 

"I...Raven, I wish I could tell you." 

"I want to leave." 

 _"What?"_ She hauled herself up as far as she could and swung herself over the bed. 

"I'm leaving. I can't stay with someone who won't tell me anything." He rushed to her side and forced her back into bed. 

"Raven, you're crazy if you think I'm letting you leave. You're hurt too badly! Just stay here a couple more days to heal, and I'll let you go."

"I'm not staying unless you tell me everything." 

"I can force you to stay." It's a quiet threat, but she stiffens.

"I'm going to fight you the whole time. Is that what you want? To cause me more pain?" His eyes flash painfully. 

"No! Of course not, I just..." He sighed. "I guess I'll start when we met." She shook her head. 

"No. You start at the beginning or I walk." He let out a humourless chuckle and sat on the edge of the bed, hiding his face. 

"You'll hate me." 

"I'll hate you more if you leave me like this." He took in a deep breath, shoulders heaving.

"I'm not human." 

"No shit, Sherlock. Start with something a little less obvious and tell me _what_ , exactly, you are." 

He growled. "I'm the god of death." She fell back on her pillows, stunned. 

"I..." He whipped around to face her, eyes red. 

"Do you hate me now?! Can you see what a monster I am?!" His voice cracked, and he seemed to curl into himself. "I'm a monster," he whispered. She reached toward him, and he looked at her, uncertain. She crawled toward him and wrapped her arms around him. 

"You're not a monster, Strat. You saved me." The tears fell, now. They fell onto her face, warm and terrified, and she pressed him to her. "I'm here. You saved me." 

"I'm so sorry...I should never have let that happen," he hiccuped. She ran her fingers through his hair comfortingly. 

"You didn't know. It's not your fault, Strat."

"I shouldn't have gotten so...invested with you! If I'd just disappeared that first night, or never let you see me...if I hadn't been so damn _careless_ -"

"Don't you dare, Strat. Don't you fucking _dare_ start." She grabbed his face in her hands and stared into his stormy eyes. "If you hadn't been there that night, I'd be dead right now...or worse." She looked away from him, flinching. She couldn't tell him what they'd done; what scars they'd left that couldn't be seen. She could feel their hands on her, hear their sniggers as she refused to let herself scream. She couldn't stop tasting the blood from every time  she'd bitten through her lip, or refused them something...so they hit her.

He took her wrists in his and froze when he felt the raised skin: even lines, scarred over. He moved her wrists closer to the light, and she tried to snatch them away. He grabbed them back. Angry red-pink lines spanned the entirety of her arm, from wrist to elbow.

"Raven..." It was her turn to hide her face, frantically blinking away the hot, angry tears. She was angry at him for discovering them, angry at herself for doing it to herself, and angry that she could have met him so much earlier.

 


	8. Chapter 8

"Why would you...Why?" Strat was struggling to comprehend why she'd want to do something like this...potentially take her own life. Her face was still hidden in shadows. 

"I couldn't stand it. I hated living, I hated that I had to live how my father wanted me to. I hated that I didn't have a choice in anything, so I made one for myself." 

"You chose to _hurt yourself?!"_ He tried to soften his voice, but it came out as a yell.

"You don't know what it's like! You didn't have controlling parents or a horrid life or -"

"No, I don't!" he shouted. "Because I don't _get_ a life! I am stuck telling people that they've died, or they're going to die, or dealing with the shades that refuse to go! I don't get any of your bad things, but I don't get any of your _good_ , either! I don't get to fall in love, or get married, or -" He was silenced by a sudden crush of lips to his. He was so shocked that he couldn't move for a moment. Finally, his body realised what was happening and softened. His lips parted, and he wound his fingers through her hair.

Finally, they had to come up for air. They pulled apart, cheeks red and a new sparkle in their eyes. "Wh-" He couldn't finish the sentence. He was too starstruck. She smirked a little.

"If you'd just told me sooner, I could've done that earlier." He looked at her, peeking at her from under his lashes. "Raven, I...have you done that a lot?"

She shrugged. "I've had my fair share of boyfriends. Mostly ones my father selected, true, but...they made for good practise." He couldn't tear his eyes away from her lips. "Did you ever..." He swallowed audibly. "Did you ever go any farther?" She looked away. "Once." Her tone clearly implied there was no room for discussion. He didn't ask.

"Can I see?" The question took him aback, and he stared at her, uncomprehending. "See what?" She bit her lip and smiled shyly. "Your wings. I only got a glance at them in the graveyard, and I thought I was hallucinating, so I'm sure my memory doesn't do them justice." He wavered a little under her gaze and let them unfurl. She reached out to trace the feathers, run her fingers along them...He shivered under her featherlight touch.

His wings seemed to take on a life of their own, pushing her to the bed and covering them both in a blanket of darkness. She gasped. "Strat...?" He smiled slightly, breathless. "Sorry, they've got a mind of their own," he breathed. She reached her hands up and twined them in his hair, drawing a small gasp from him. "Strat, I think...if you wouldn't mind..." He surged forward and crushed her lips to his. They were safe under the canopy of darkness; no one would disturb them.

 


	9. Chapter 9

She could barely think. He was close. So close. She could smell him - fire and earth and something else...something sweet. His eyes were boring into hers, searching for something, though she couldn't tell what. She shifted so that she was closer to his lips, and he shifted down to meet her. Everything disappeared into sparks and skin, flashes of light igniting the darkness. He moved to her wrists, kissing each scar between whispers.

"Please...don't _ever_ hurt yourself." She could barely respond. Instead, she moved her lips to his jaw, and he let out a growl, pinning her to the bed. She froze. He traced her collarbone, mindful of each and every cut. "I can fix them, if you like," he murmured. She could only moan in response. He smiled and kissed each bruise, a soothing warmth emanating everywhere his lips touched. When she was certain there was nowhere left to kiss, he slowly worked his fingers under her top. "We can stop," he whispered. She shook her head and helped him pull the cloth off. He ran his eyes over every inch of skin he could see, and she found the courage to pull the shirt off his chest. She ran her fingertips over the smooth planes of his chest, feeling the muscles contract as he sucked in a breathy gasp.

"Strat?"

"Yes?"

"I think I love you."

Soft, disbelieving laughter.

 


	10. Chapter 10

He propped his head on his hand so he could just look at her, still in disbelief that she was here and she was _his_. Her hair spread across the pillow in inky swirls, stark against the snowy satin. He watched the rise and fall of her chest, amazed that someone so _alive_ could be in his realm...could be in _love_ with him. She had said that last night, hadn't she?

Her eyes fluttered open, soft and sleepy.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered. She smiled and curled closer to him, pressing her warm body to his.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled. He laughed and ran his fingers through her hair.

A bell chimed, and his good mood evaporated.

"You need to leave."

Her face flashed with pain. "Wh-"

" _Now_ , Raven."

 


	11. Chapter 11

She didn't understand. What was such a big deal that she couldn't even stay in his room?

One look from him was all it took - she wasn't welcome anymore.

She took her robe and covered herself, watching as Strat left the room in a mess of black.

As soon as he was gone, she stole over to the closet and slipped inside, closing the door just enough to peek through a crack.

Strat stalked back in, another humanoid following. This one was clearly another god, though the exact opposite of Strat - black hair, grey eyes, and a complete rule-follower. The newcomer was gesturing wildly and yelling.

" - are fine! But this?! You can't _keep_ a mortal with you, Stratocaster! What happens when she dies?! You can't keep her ghost with you, and trying to prolong her life will only cause both of you pain!" Strat wasn't going to back down without a fight, and that was when she realised they were talking about her.

"I don't give a damn what you want, Mahdi! I'm not letting her go, and you have to keep her with you!" _With you? What the hell does that mean?!_ This conversation wasn't making any sense. She watched the raven-haired boy - Mahdi - put his hands on his hips.

"Look, Strat..." he started, putting a hand on the blond's shoulder. "I wish I could help you. I really do. But you screwed up. You saved a mortal's life when it was her time to die, and that's not something we can just forget. She has to fix this, and you do too."

 


	12. Chapter 12

He was getting desperate.

"It's my fault, not hers! Don't punish her for something _I_ did!" he shouted, shoving his friend's hand off him. "She didn't do anything!"

"She slept with a _god_ , Stratocaster! She slept with the god of _death!_ For hell's sake, they won't just let that go!"

"Sleeping with mortals isn't unusual! You do it all the time!"

"I never keep them around, and I never let them see _me!_ You let her see your wings, see you as a god, and you let her live! You can't -"

"So what, you're gonna kill her?! She'll still know, even if she's dead! Then I'll just see her more, but it'll kill me! Do you know what that'll do to me?!" He was screaming now, but he didn't care. If he could make Mahdi understand how much she meant to him, how important she was -

"You won't care."

The words were cold, solid. They meant only one thing.

"No." His insides went cold, icy dread sliding its cold fingers down his spine.

"You can't. Mahdi, you can't just -"

"I can, and I will. It's for your own good, Stratocaster. I'm sorry it had to come to this."

"No! You can't do this! It won't work!" When his protests proved futile, he stopped yelling and Mahdi and started calling for her.

"I promise I'll fix this! I swear to my souls, I'll come back to you!"

He froze with horror as she burst out of the closet.

 _She can't still be here..._ Please _tell me she's not still here!_

 


	13. Chapter 13

She collapsed out of the closet, falling to her knees. She was greeted with a cold pair of grey eyes and an all-too-familiar set of blues, searching her gaze, terrified.

"So this is her, hm? Let's have a look." Raven felt herself pulled by an invisible force so that she was brought before the chilling grey gaze.

"Mahdi, please -"

" _Shut up_ , Stratocaster! Don't make this any worse for her," he ordered. He leaned down so they were on even ground.

"Do you know who I am, girl?" he whispered, predatory.

"No, and I don't particularly care. Let him go."

He threw his head back and laughed. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Strat. Wow."

He grabbed her chin in his hand and yanked her closer. _"I_ make the rules here, not you. _Don't_ piss me off." He threw her to the ground so hard that she saw stars. She heard Strat cry out, but she was too weak to get up. She couldn't even open her eyes.

 


	14. Chapter 14

He watched her hit the ground with a sickening thunk, going still.

"Sorry, Strat...but I think we finally have to remove that pesky bit of human sentiment you've got floating around in there. It's just causing everyone too much pain."

Mahdi came closer, hands starting to glow.

"Don't do this, Mahdi. _Please_." His voice was ragged, defeated. He couldn't care less about himself, but if Raven saw him like this...if she was still around when he...

Mahdi put his hands on both sides of Strat's head, and he screamed.

Scorching pain exploded through his skull, and his vision went white.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Dread curled in her stomach, cold and heavy. _What_ is _that?!_

The monster advancing on her now wasn't Strat. It _couldn't_ be. Its eyes were black, its irises red...the wings that had been so soft around her just an hour ago were angry now, restless. They flapped at the air, sending strong currents her way and pushing her back against the wall.

She stood there, pinned, as it advanced on her, ruby eyes glowing. He threw her to the wall with a hand around her throat and _squeezed_.

"Strat...please..." she gasped, fighting for air. Black spots danced around her vision, and she crumpled. The last thing she saw was a blue-eyed, blond-haired, black-hearted monster who couldn't care less if she lived or died - rather, he probably _wanted_ her dead. She closed her eyes and let everything disappear.

 


	16. Chapter 16

It stared down at her impassively, stone-cold gaze hard. She'd escaped death once, with his help, and she wouldn't do it again.

It reached down to finish the job - and froze.

 


	17. Chapter 17

_NO!_   The scream was guttural, ripped from somewhere deep inside him. He fought for control again, fought to keep the thing that held him from killing the woman he loved. This time, he managed to throw it off-balance, freezing it for a split-second. Raven laid, unconscious, on the floor, and Strat moved to scoop her up.

Suddenly, the thing wrested control back, hands curling into fists and reaching for her throat.

Slow clapping emanated from somewhere nearby - Mahdi. Why the hells was he still here?!

"Well, well, well, Stratocaster...who knew you were such a fighter? Still, you'll have to give up eventually...not even a god can resist their true selves. You have a greater purpose, and you were willing to throw it away for some... _mortal_." Mahdi scoffed, spitting the word as if it were a curse. "I'll leave you to it - I assume you can control him." This was directed to the monster, who growled. With a gleaming smile, Mahdi disappeared back into a cloud of aether, leaving nothing but the smell of thunder behind.

 


	18. Chapter 18

_Raven...you have to get up, Raven...stand up...get UP!_

Raven jolted awake with a scream building on her lips, dying instantly when she saw the _thing_  just centimetres from her, staring at Mahdi, the other god.

To her left, a woman in red was staring at her, blue eyes filled with worry.

"M...mom?" Raven murmured, shocked.

"You have to get up, sweetheart, or you'll be stuck here just like the rest of us."

Raven looked wildly back at her once-lover.

"I can't leave him, Mom! I just...not like this!"

Sloane grabbed her arm and tugged. "You can, and you will. You're no help to him if you're dead."

With that, she hauled Raven up and rushed her out the door, away from the danger before either god noticed they were gone.

 


	19. Chapter 19

It stared at the space the God of Life had just vacated. It turned around to finish what Strat had started...but the girl was gone.

It threw its head back and let out an ugly, loud roar.

 


	20. Chapter 20

Strat stared at the blank space Raven had just occupied and let out a heavy breath. He didn’t know where she’d gone, but she wasn’t here. That was the important thing. He could feel the monster seething, and he let himself have a savage smile. _Looks like you can’t always win, jackass._

The monster inside him let out a mutinous growl. _I’ll find her. And when I do, both of you are going to disappear for good_.

Strat froze, ice creeping down his spine. If it was speaking…No.

Suddenly, the monster gave a lurch toward the door, and Strat was caught off-guard, yanked towards wherever it wanted to go. It sprinted to the nearest communications centre and yelled, “Mortal breach! Lock down the Underworld, don’t let anyone out! Mortal female, black hair. Alone.”

Strat used the last of his control to slam the receiver down, but the damage was done. Now, the whole Underworld was on lockdown, and every shade knew Raven was here. _Please let her be gone…_


	21. Chapter 21

Sloane froze, and Raven stumbled to a stop. “Mom? What’s -”

She listened to the voice reverberating around the space and felt ice trickle up her neck. _They’re looking for me._

Sloane grabbed her daughter’s shoulders and stared at her. “Raven, they think you’re alone. That’ll buy us some time to get you close, maybe disguise you as one of the shades here. If we can’t get you out of here soon, you’ll stay here so long you really _will_ die.”

“Mom, I can’t do this. I can’t - I - what if -”

Sloane shushed her. “Raven, you have to. There’s no other options. If you don’t get out of here now, either you miraculously stay alive long enough to die a semi-natural death, or _he_ finds you. If he finds you, you’ll have no chance. You _have_ to get out.”

Raven nodded. “Okay. What do I have to do?”


End file.
